Top-prop for vehicles



(No Model.)

K. K. PARKER.

TOP PROP FOR VEHICLES.

No. 306,277. Patented Oct. 7, 1884..

Whiassea, 1 g Inventor. WM 6 InzyZ/ZKParZeZ UNITED STATE FFKCEm PATENT TOP -PROP FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,277, dated October 7,1884.

Application filed May 26, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, KNIGHT K. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at (lircleville, in the county of Iickaway and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Joints for Vehicle-Top Braces or Props, of which the following is a specilication.

In buggies and other wheeled vehicles having tops, as ordinarily constructed, the topprops or brace-rods fit over bolts or studs, and are confined thereon by screw-nuts, and in time the movements of the top props or braces cause thejoints to wear, and hence in traveling the props or braces rattle and cause a disagreeable noise. This is especially the fact in top-buggies, owing to the frequency of raising and lowering the tops to suit the fancy or re quirements of the driver.

The objects of my invention are to avoid this objection and to'provide novel and cient means whereby the top-props or bracerods are prevented from rattling by maintaining a close and tight joint where the props or braces join the su orting bolts or studs on the vehicle body and the top. These objects are accomplished by the construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a top-buggy with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, a view showing one of the bolts or studs in elevation on the vehicle-body, with the other parts in section, and Fig. 3 broken detached perspective views.

Referring to the drawings, thenumber 1 iiidicates the vehicle-body; 2, the folding topbows; 3, the jointed brace for holding the top bows to expand the top, and 4 the verticallyarranged jointed prop or brace-rod for sustaining the top in its upright position.

The devices constituting the present invention are located at the points a, b, and 0, respectively, where the top 4, bows 2, and the top-prop are supported on the body studs or bolts 5, and where the top-prop joins the topbow braces 3 on the top stud or bolt 5. The

top-bow braces 3 and top-prop 4 are each constructed with a tapering orifice, 6, the largest diameter of which is at the outer side, and in said orifice is arranged a thimble or bushing, 7, having a straight cylindrical bore to fit the cylindrical belt or stud 5, the thimble having a uniformly-tapering exterior, and slotted or divided longitudinally, as at 8, to constitute a spring, the inherent elasticity of which tends to expand the thimble or bushing. The thimble is placed upon the bolt or stud 5, so that its thinnest end edge, 9, enters the tapering orifice, and the thickest end edge, 10, abuts against the screw-nut 11, applied to the screwthreaded end of the bolt or stud 5. The thima spring-wedge, which coacts with the taper .ing orifice in the top-prop or the brace-rods,

and consequently when the nut is screwed up it crowds the thimble or bushing into the tapering orifice, and the wedge action of the tapering surface causes the thimble or bushing to contract and closely hug the belt or stud, thus providing a tight but smoothly-working joint, which prevents the possibility of rattling. By tightening up the nut the thimble or bushing is adjusted into the orifice to compensate for all wear incident to the frequent working of the parts, and a perfect joint is thus rendered possible under all circumstances.

Having thus described my invention; what I claim is As an improvement in folding carriage-tops, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of the body provided with the ordinary fixed cylindrical stud 5, the folding top having the top-prop brace constructed with the orifice 6, tapering from the outer to theinner end, the longitudinally-divided thimble 7, having a bore ofuni form diameter adapting it to the uniform diameter of the ordinary body-stud, and constructed tapering from end to end on its exterior to fit the tapering orifice in the top-prop brace, and the nut for holding the top-prop brace on the stud and adjusting the thimble lengthwise to contract it on the stud, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KNIGHT K. PARKER. \Vitnesses:

CONRAD BARTI-IELMES, WM. VIETi-L 

